There are so many ways to prepare risotto. The two things that I find is key to it, is giving the rice enough time to absorb all the liquid and to cook properly – and using a good quality shorter grain rice. I used Arborio rice for this dish, which is pretty easy to find. Asparagus is in season and even though it died in my garden this year, it’s all over the farmer’s market.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 medium white onion, diced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (this can be replaced with another short grain white rice)
4 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 fresh grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper, to tasteIn a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook the onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add in the rice and 1/2 a cup of the broth. Allow the rice to soak up all the broth and keep adding in 1/2 a cup of the broth at a time, allowing the rice to soak it up after each addition. Slowly keep stirring the rice every minute or two as you add in all the liquid.

After the rice has absorbed all the broth and is at your desired firmness, add in the asparagus and a little bit of salt and pepper. Stir well and cook for about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cover for another 5 minutes. Top off with parsley and fresh parmesan and serve hot. Serves 4.